Cheers Growing for 'Washington Reagans' as NFL Team

Washington Redskins' owner Dan Snyder has an option if he's forced to drop his team's name, a tongue-in-cheek campaign says: He can always name it the Washington Reagans.

In The Washington Times on Tuesday, Michael Taube wrote he's a big fan of the idea, too, should the team have to change its name in the wake of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruling to drop the pro football teams' trademarks, and because of demands from people like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"Like many others, I would prefer the Redskins kept their original nickname," Taube writes. "It’s an important part of the storied football team’s legacy and history. In my view, a 'Redskin' symbolizes the positive virtues of strength, courage and a warrior-like spirit on the gridiron. They’ve used it successfully for more than 80 years, leading to 23 playoff appearances and five NFL championships, including three Super Bowl victories."

Earlier this month, anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist got in on the joke, telling Buzzfeed he thinks the plan is a "great idea" and that the team "can be the Ronald Reagans on winning years and the Nancy Reagans on losing years. Unless that gets us in more trouble elsewhere."

The name change would be "the ultimate tribute" to Reagan, said Taube, and "if there was ever a world leader who deserved to have his name associated in a positive fashion with a sports team, it would be Reagan," whose football-themed campaign slogan was "Win one for the Gipper."

In addition, Taube wrote, Snyder is a donor to many Republicans and their causes, including Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

"Democrats want Washington’s NFL team to change its name," Taube wrote. "The Redskins' owner, Mr. Snyder, is the only person who can rightfully do this. Hence, if he chooses to comply and pays homage to a Republican president in the process, they’re stuck with it. Any further complaints would smack of political partisanship."

Taube's endorsement is bringing out even more tweets about suggestion. Derek Thompson, a senior editor for The Atlantic, tweeted:

"You don’t have to imagine very hard how truly, gloriously awful Eagles fans could get about the whole thing," Mathis wrote in his column Wednesday. "We’re not fans of the Redskins name, but if Taube thinks the Reagan name would somehow deter ugly displays of partisanship … well, he hasn’t spent much time watching NFC East games is all we can say."